Method of preparing delta1 steroids



United States Patent This invention relates to a new process of preparing steroids. More particularly, it relates to a method of inhibiting the destruction of steroids in microbial systems.

In biochemical reactions involving the use of microorganisms to accomplish steroid transformations, it is ,known that destruction of the desired steroid can take place giving lower yields or sometimes no product. This phenomenon may be described .as destructase activity and is manifested by the simultaneous loss of 240 m absorption (due to the A -3-ketone) and blue tetrazolium reactivity (due toan a ketol) in compounds containing these groupings. The loss of these properties is probably not the result of minor alterations brought about by reduction, isomerization or side-chain oxidation since inde pendent methods to detect these changes have failed to reveal their occurrence. Thus the destructase system, at the least, simultaneously attacks both the A ring and the side-chain, and the reactions involved may be considerably more profound. Destructase activity is very wide-spread among biological systems and has been observed with great frequency in microbiological systems. Microbial systems manifesting destructase activity have been of great variety andhave not been limited to 1,2- dehydrogenating systems. Thus destructase activity is a serious side reaction which results in a greatly decreased yieldof steroid. With certain steroids andcertain microorganisms steroid destruction is so rapid and complete that no steroids can be isolated.

We have now found that the destruction of the desired steroid can be :all but eliminated by the use of inhibitors. For example, when 1,2-dehydrogenating organisms are grown under normal fermentation conditions and at the time of steroid-addition, a member of either of two classes of compounds is introduced into the mash. The introduction of these additives causes inhibition of destructase activity resulting in a significantly higher yield of the desired 1,2-dehydro steroid. The classes of compounds inhibiting destructase activity are-of the quinonoid type or are compounds containing an atom of subgroup VI of the periodic table. V

The inhibition of destructase activity appears to be a general phenomenon manifested by quinonoid type compounds. Among the quinonoids found to be elfective have been quinones, phenazines, thiazines, oxazines, benzenone-indophenols, acridines, xanthylium salts and thio- Xanthylium salts. Furthermore, the-oxidized and reduced forms appear "equally 'eifective 'since identical results are obtained when either hydroquinone or p-benzoquinone is 1 --used.

The inhibition of destructase activity appears to be --manifested generally -by-compounds containing atoms of.

2 and sodium molybdate. The efi'ectiveness does not appear to be governed by the ionic species since both Cr+ and CR+ have demonstrated inhibition of destructase" activity.

The use of elements of subgroup VI of the periodic table is not limited to introduction at the time of steroid addition. Introduction of potassium dichromate into the formulation of the medium prior to sterilization has proven effective and permitted a more convenient and desirable method of inhibiting the destructase system.

A study of the ionic forms of compounds containing the atoms of subgroup VI --of the periodic table shows that -:'Cr '0 exists primarily as CrO; under the pH conditions existing in the fermentation mash. Subsequent to sterilization by autoclaving, the greenish cast imparted to the medium is suggestive of the chromic ion (Cr which would be anticipated following this treatment. Further evidence in this direction is obtained by a negative lead acetate test for CrO; which demonstrates the absence of crow. The lead acetate test conducted on mash to which potassium dichromate has been introduced at the timeof steroid addition, on the other hand, is positive for CrO Cr+ in the form of C'r('NO introduced at the time of steroid addition also inhibits the destructase activity as predicted from the above considerations.

The inhibition of the destructase :system does not appearto be'rnerely a reflection'ofthe redox potential imparted by the quinonoid compounds or atoms of the sub group VI of the periodic table, sincecompounds with both higher and lower redox potentials than members of the two classes-of compounds used have failedtodemonstrate this inhibition.

In carrying out the process of the present invention to produce 1,-2-dehydrogenation, any of the organisms described in the prior art for this purpose can be used. Among these organisms may be mentioned Nocardia corallz'nw (ATCC 999),'C0rynebacteriwm simplex (ATCC 6946), Myco 'bacterium rhvdoohrous (ATCC 12674), Bacterium cyclooxydans '(ATCC 12673) and Bacterium mycoides (Lederle Culture No. 327). The cultivation and growing of these microorganisms in suitable media is described in the prior art such as United States -Patents 2,822,318; 2,837,464 and the like. These media comprise essentially a source of carbon, assi'milableinitrogen and trace elements. Aspointed-tout.above,the.addition of the claimed inhibitors preferably takes place at the time the steroid is added to the media although it can take place at the time of sterilizing the media. The amount of inhibitor to be added will, to some extent, depend on the steroid, microorganism, media and the state of the particular organism in a given fermentation. The amount of inhibitor added will vary from about 2.0)(10- to 2.0 l 0 molar. Following completion of the reaction, the desired steroid is recovered in the usual manner well known in the steroid art.

The process of the present invention is useful in preparing A steroids, such as, for example triamcinolone, prednisolone, prednisone, and almost any steroid having a A double bond in the final product. The process of preparing'compounds, such as described-in United States 'Patents 2,789,118; 2,822,318, etc. 'is greatly improved by the 'useo'f the inhibitors of the present invention. A

The following examples describe in detail the results obtained with different inhibitors, various microorganisms and steroids 'forvarying lengths of time.

Example I e The group of organisms below are washed aseptically from *trypticase soy agar slants (Baltimore Biological Laboratory.) with sterile water into ml. of sterile medium contained in a 500 ml. Erlenmeyer flask. The

flasks are incubated on a reciprocating shaker at a prescribed temperature for a predetermined time. The time, temperature and medium utilized for each organism is shown in the following table:

1 Medium A consists of 0.4% beef extract, 0.1% yeast extract, 0.4% peptone. 1.0% glucose, 0.25% sodium chloride, pH adjusted to 7.0.

2 Medium B consists of 0.1% yeast extract, 0.245% potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.256% disodium phosphate.

Following the inoculum development described above, 1.0 ml. of inoculum is introduced into 100 ml. of the same sterile medium, used for the inoculum development, in a 500 ml. Erlenmeyer flask. The flasks are incubated on a reciprocating shaker for 16 hours at 28 C. At this time, 200 ,ug/ml. of steroid, dissolved in methanol at a concentration of mg./ml., and the desired quinonoid, or compound containing an atom of subgroup VI of the periodic table, in solution form, are introduced into each flask and the incubation is allowed to continue. At intervals 1.0 ml. aliquots are removed aseptically from the flasks and extracted with 8 ml. of ethyl acetate saturated with water. Aliquots of the ethyl acetate containing approximately 100 ,ug. of steroid is concentrated in a tube to a dry residue. Samples are chilled in an ice bath and 5 ml. of reagent (kept at 0 C.) added. The reagent is prepared by dissolving 400 mg. of isonicotinic acid hydrazide (Nutritional Biochemicals) per 100 ml. of methanol containing 0.5 ml. concentrated hydrochloric acid. After exactly eight minutes in the ice bath, the optical density of the sample is read at 410 mu against a reagent blank. The samples and blank are then heated for twenty minutes in a 60 C. water bath, after which the optical densities are again read at 410 III/L. The results were computed as follows:

a=observed O.D. at 0 C. after 8 minutes b=observed O.D. at 60 C. after minutes R1: O.D. of standard A -3-ketosteroid at 0 C.

O.D. of standard A 3-ketosteroid at 60 C.

O.D. of standard A -3-ketosteroid at 60 C. 2* O.D. of standard A -3-ketosteroid at 0 C.

Y=O.D. of A 3ketoster0id at 60 C. corrected fo presence of A -3-ketosteroid.

X =O.D. of N-3-ket0steroid at 60 C. corrected for the presence of A -3-ketosteroid.

Solving the simultaneous equations:

For seventeen A -3-ketosteroids the mean R =1.057i.03 and for eleven A and A -3-ketosteroid pairs the mean 1-R R =0.95i0.02. The mean value for these eleven pairs of the ratio also carried out with aliquots equivalent to 50 ,ug. of steroid.

Example 11 A reaction is carried out with growing cells of N. corallina as described in Example I. Following the preliminary growth period of 16 hours, at the time of addition of hydrocortisone in a separate series of fermentations, the various quinonoid compounds described below are added to the fermentation in sufiicient quantity to attain the concentrations indicated. The course of the fermentation during which 1,2-dehydrogenation of hydrocortisone (F) to prednisolone (NF), and the extent of destructase activity can be summarized as follows:

pg. Observed/ pg. steroid added Quinonoid (molar concentration) 3 hours 24 hours A F F A 1 F F No qninonoid added to fermentation 3 3 0 Phenazine methosulfate (3.3)(10- M) 123 6 123 11 2,6-dichlorobenzenone-indophenol (10- M) 83 22 113 19 No quinonoid added to fermentation..-" 89 2 2 0 Methylene blue (10- M) 83 5 92 0 No quinonoid added to fermentation 46 66 2 0 Gallocyanine (10- M) 43 75 72 0 No quinonoid added to fermentation 94 4 2 0 p-Benzoquinone (10- M) 86 11 82 2 Example III Using the reaction conditions described in Example I, growing cells of N. corallz'na are used to ferment androstenedione, progesterone, Reichsteins Substance S (S) and hydrocortisone 0F). Fermentations are carried out in the presence and absence of phenazine methosulfate (PMS) at a concentration of 33x10" M.

Conversion to the 1,2-dehydro product (A of each of the above (A compounds is summarized as follows:

#g. Observed/100 g. steroid added Steroid PMS (molar cone.) 1 hour 3 hours 24 hours Al .4 A4 A1 ,4 A4 A1 ,4 A4

Androstenedione 0 12 74 32 19 1 1 3. 3X10- M 102 3 101 3 99 11 Progesterone 0 3 83 11 35 2 1 3. 3X10- M 103 13 85 4 50 3 Beichsteins substance S- 0 10 101 22 70 3 0 3. 3X10' M 108 7 102 4 77 5 Hydrocortisone 0 69 59 112 10 3 2 3. 3X10- M 107 10 6 123 11 Example IV Using the procedure of Example I, growing cells of N. corallina are used to ferment hydrocortisone. Fermentations are carried out in the presence of various concentrations of phenazine methosulfate (PMS) which are summarized as follows:

Using the procedure described in Example I, hydrocortisone is fermented in the presence and absence of phenazine methosulfate (PMS) by growing cells of N.

5 corallina, C. simplex, B. cyclooxydans and B. Mycoides. The results obtained are summarized as follows:

and hydrocortisone. Fermentations are carried out in the presence and absence of 10- M potassium dichromate g. Observed/100 g. steroid added Organism PMS 3 hours 24 hours 96 hours A F F A F F A F F Nocardia-corallina Area 999) o 105 a 3 0 0 3.3)(10' M 125 6 123 11 120 0 Corynebaclerium simplex (A'IOG 6946) 0 '64 62 0 0 0 0 3.3)(10' M 15 97 99 14 118 14 Mycobacterium rhodochrous (ATOG 12674) 0 98 3 2 0 0 O 3.3)(10' M 113 16 107 9 103 10 Bacterium cycloozydans (AIOC 12673) 0 110 1 0 0 0 0 3.3)(10- M 102 8 111 0 100 0 Bacterium mycoides (Lederle Culture 327) O 93 0 0 O 0 0 3.3X- M 109 10 115 10 110 8 Example VI dure of Example I. At the time ofsteroid addition, the

various inorganic compounds shown below are added to the fermentation in sufli'cient quantity to 'give the concen- "trations summarized:

g. Observed/100 g. steroid added Supplement (molar concentration) 3 hours 24 hours A F F A l 13 No inhibitor added to fermentation 97 0 4 0 KzCraO1 (LO- M) (potassium dichromate) 93 0 94 O No inhibitor added to fermentation"..- 119 V 4 2 0 011N09 (4 10- M) (chromic nitrate). 103 9 112 0 No inhibitoradded to'fermentation p 70 -8 21 0 24WOa.PzOs.25H2O (10-- M) (phosphotungstic 4 acid) 108 110 0 NazWO4-(10' M) (sodium tungstate) 132 15 128 1 MOal2H3P04A8H2O (10- M) (phosphomolybdio acid) 7 82 23 66 1 N84M0042H30 (10' M) (sodium molybdate) S3 16 63 1 Example VII pg. Observed/100 g. steroid added 3 hours 24 hours A l? F A F F Medium A 112 9 2 0 Medium A plus KgCTzO (10- M) 97 0 102 0 Example VIII Using the procedure previously described in Example I, growing cells of N. corallina are used to ferment androstenedione, progresterone, Reichsteins Substance S introduced into the fermentation at the time of steroid addition. Resuts are as follows:

g. Observed/ g. steroid added Potassium dichromate, molar c0110.

m M t 114 4 Androstenedione.-- 0 10- M Progesterone Example IX Using the procedure previously-described in Example I, growing-cells-o'f N. corallina are used to ferment hydrocortisone. Fermentations are carried out in the presence of the concentrations of potassium dichromate as shown below.

pg. Observed/100 g. steroid added Potassium dichromate, molar conc.

3 hours 24 hours '48 hours was Leeann-non:

Houseman cements-coco mo: 7 NOOQOOO ...rmoon: cwocu o on i-woow-o Example X Using the procedure previously described in Example -'I, 'hydrocortisone is fermented in the presence and absence of potassium dichro'mate by -growing'cellsof N. corallina, C. simplex, r'hodochrous, B. cy'clooxydans and B. mycoides. The resultsare described as follows:

g. observed/100 g. steroid added Potassium dichromate,

Organism molar cone.

3 hours 24 hours NF F A F F Nocardia corallina (ATCC 999) Orzjgynebacterium simplex) (ATCC Mpcobticterium rhodochrous (ATCC (ATCC Bacieriu m mycoz'des (Lederle Culture 327).

cycloozydam Bacterium 12673) We claim:

1. A method for the improvement of fermentation processes containing a 1,2-dehydrogenating microbial system for the production of 1,2-dehydro steroids in which destruction of A -3-keto steroids is inhibited which comprises adding as inhibitors a member selected from the group consisting of compounds containing chromium, molybdenum and tungsten and compounds containing the ortho and para quinonoid structure in the oxidized and reduced state of the formulas:

111 Ilia 1111 X R i -R,

R1 Rs 1 and R2 XRa R3Y- R2 wherein X and Y are atoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carboxylic acid, hydroxyl and halogen groups, R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl and dimethylamino and R when present is a member of the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl and p-hydroxyphenyl.

2. A method of inhibiting the destruction of A -3-keto steroids in substantially aqueous solution in the presence of 1,2-dehydrogenating microbial systems causing de struction of said steroids which comprises adding to the solution an inhibitor selected from the group consisting of chromium, molybdenum and tungsten compounds.

3. A method of inhibiting the destruction of A -3-keto steroids in substantially aqueous solution in the presence of 1,2-dehydrogenating microbial systems causing destruc tion of said steroids which comprises adding an inhibitor to the solution selected from the group consisting of oxidized and reduced forms of quinones, phenazines, thiazines, oxazines, benzenone-indophenols, acridines, Xanthylinium salts and thioxanthylinium salts.

4. In a method of 1,2-dehydrogenating steroids in substantially aqueous solution in the presence of microorganisms capable of 1,2-dehydrogenating said steroids, the improvement which comprises stabilizing the steroids present by the addition of a member selected from the group consisting of chromium compounds, molybdenum compounds and tungsten compounds in an amount to produce from about 2.0 to 2.0 10- molar solution.

5. A method of stabilizing A -3-one steroids in a fermentation medium in the presence of 1,2-dehydrogenating microorganisms which comprises adding to the said medium a chemical compound of the quinonoid structure selected from the oxidized and reduced forms of the group consisting of quinones, phenazines, thiazines, oxazines, benzenone-indophenols, acridines, xanthylium salts and thioxanythlium salts in a quantity sufiicient to produce a concentration of not more than 2.0 1()- molar solution.

6. A method of stabilizing A -hydrocortisone in a fermentation medium in the presence of growing cells of Nocardia corallina which comprises adding to the medium potassium dichromate in an amount sufficient to produce from about 2.0x l0 to 2.0x l0" molar.

7. A method of stabilizing A -hydrocortisone in a fermentation medium in the presence of growing cells of N ocardia corallina which comprises adding to the medium phenazine methosulfate in an amount to produce from about 2.0 10 to 2.0 10* molar.

8. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the chemical compound containing the quinonoid structure is phenazine methosulfate.

9. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the chemical compound containing the quinonoid structure is pbenzoquinone.

10. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the chemical compound containing the quinonoid structure is methylene blue.

11. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the chemical compound containing the quinonoid structure is gallocyanine.

12. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the chemical compound containing the quinonoid structure is 2,6-dichlorobenzenone-indophenol.

13. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the chromium compound is potassium dichromate.

14. A method in accordance with claim 2. wherein the tungsten compound is phosphotungs-tic acid.

15. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the molybdenum compound is sodium molybdate.

16. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the compound of the quinonoid structure is gallocyanine and the A -3-one steroid is prednisolone.

17. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the compound of the quinonoid structure is p-benzoquinone and the A -3-one steroid is prednisolone.

18. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the compound of the quinonoid structure is phenazine methosulfate and the A -3-one steroid is A -androstenedione.

19. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the compound containing chromium is chromic nitrate and the A -3-one steroid is prednisolone.

20. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the compound containing molybdenum is phosphomolybdic acid and the A -3-one steroid is prednisolone.

Prescott et al.: Industrial Microbiology, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1959, page 749. 

1. A METHOD FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF FERMENTATION PROCESSES CONTAINING A 1,2-DEHYDROGENATING MICROBIAL SYSTEM FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 1,2-DEHYDRO STEROIDS IN WHICH DESTRUCTION OF $1,4-3-KETO STEROIDS IS INHIBITED WHICH COMPRISES ADDING AS INHIBITORS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COMPOUNDS CONTAINING CHROMIUM, MOLYBDENUM AND TUNGSTEN AND COMPOUNDS CONTAINING THE ORTHO AND PARA QUINONOID STRUCTURE IN THE OXIDIZED AND REDUCED STATE OF THE FORMULAS: 